Sears Helps Homeowners Hire Repairmen Online

Homeowners name their price for repairs through
Sears’ ServiceLive.com.

Sears
Holdings today announced the beta launch of ServiceLive.com,
an online services marketplace where homeowners can name their price for home
improvements and repairs. By combining the successful auction capabilities used
by sites in other categories with proprietary ServiceLive technology and
processes, the site was designed to improve the home services experience for
both homeowners and service providers.

“ServiceLive.com
is going to change the way people hire services for their homes,” announced
George Coll, president of ServiceLive. ”We have created a
marketplace that puts the homeowner back in the driver’s seat by allowing them
to name the terms and manage the process completely online. It benefits service
providers as well by creating job opportunities and enabling speedy payment.”

ServiceLive was founded in 2007 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings. It has
spent the last year recruiting and conducting background checks on service
providers across the country ― from handymen and home electronics pros to
plumbers and computer experts.

Here’s how
it works: Users review and select pre-screened service providers in their area,
and then describe a repair or improvement project in detail, including the
price they want to pay and desired appointment time. The project is then routed
to selected providers after the user uploads funds to his or her ServiceLive
account. The first provider to accept the terms electronically wins the
project. After a project is completed to satisfaction, the user pays and rates
the provider online.

A
recent Sears survey of homeowners found that more than 71 percent say that the
upkeep, repair, maintenance and improvement of their homes are “more
frustrating than making their mortgage payments.” Nearly nine in 10 (89
percent) said they have homes that need work, but almost half of this group (44
percent) haven’t started the work because “they don’t think that they can
afford it.”

“In
today’s economy, everyone is keeping an eye on spending, so it’s more important
than ever to maintain your home to prevent future, more expensive repairs,”
said Coll. “ServiceLive.com offers users a way to take care of their homes at a
price they can afford, while giving service providers a way to supplement their
business.”

Currently, thousands
of ServiceLive-approved providers are available to hire through the online
marketplace. A special launch promotion will waive the $10 posting fee for all
orders through Feb. 28.